Nitschmann Middle School Music Dictionary Principal Words and Symbols used in Modern Music Daniel Zettlemoyer 2010‐2011 # 8va Play the notes indicated up one octave (eight notes higher). 8vb Play the notes indicated one octave lower (eight notes lower). A Accerlerando Gradually increasing in speed, to slowly get faster Accent Emphasis on certain parts of a measure Adagio Slowly, leisurely Ad libitum (ad lib.) Not in strict time A due (a 2) To be played by both instruments Agitato Restless, with agitation Al or Alla In the style of Alla Marcia In the style of a March Allegretto Slower than allegro, moderately fast, faster than andante Allegro Lively, brisk Allegro assai Very rapidly Amoroso Affectionately Andante In moderate slow time Andantino Strictly slower than andante Anima, con Animato With animation A piacere At pleasure; EQuivalent to ad libitum Appassionato Impassioned Arpeggio A broken chord Assai Very, A tempo In the original tempo Attacca Attack or begin what follows without pausing B Barcarolle A Venetian boatman’s song Bis Twice, repeat the passage Bravura Brilliant; bold, spirited Brio, con With much spirit C Cadenza An elaborate, florid passage introduced as an embellishment Cantabile In a singing style Canzonetta A short song or air Capriccio a At pleasure, ad libitum Cavatina An air, shorter and simpler than the aria, and in one division without Da Capo Chord The harmony of three or more tones of different pitch produced simultaneously Coda A supplement at the end of a composition Col or con With Col legno Playing with the wood (bow‐stick) part of the bow. D Da or dal From Da Capo (D.C.) From the beginning Dal Segno (D.S.) From the sign Decrescendo Decreasing in volume Diatonic Major scale Diminuendo Gradually getting softer Divisi Divided, each part is to be played by a separate instrument or person Dolce Softly, Sweetly Dolcissimo Very sweetly and softly Dominant The fifth tone of the diatonic scale Down Bow On a bowed string instrument, the note is played while drawing the bow downward Duet or Duo A composition for two performers E E And Elegante Elegant, graceful Energico With energy, graceful Enharmonic Alike in pitch, but differently in notation Espressivo With expression F Fermata The sign indicating a pause or rest Finale The concluding movement Fine The end Forte Loud Forte‐piano Accent strongly, diminishing instantly to piano Fortissimo Very loud Forsando Indicates that a note or chord is to be strongly accented Forza Force of tone Fuoco, con With fire, with spirit G Giocoso Joyously; playfully Giusto Exact; in strict time Grandioso Grand; pompous; majestic Grave Very slow and solemn Grazioso Gracefully H Harmony In general, a combination of tones, or chords, producing music K Keynote The first degree of the scale, the tonic L Largamente Very broad in style Larghetto Slow, but not as slow as Largo; nearly like andantino Largo Broad and slow, the slowest tempo mark Legato Smoothly, the reverse of staccato Ledger Line A small added line above or below the staff L’istesso tempo In the same time or tempo Lento Slow, between Andante and Largo Loco In place. Play as written, no longer, an octave higher or lower M Ma But Ma non troppo lively, but not too much Maestoso Majestically; dignified Maggiore Major key Marcato Marked, short accent Meno Less Meno mosso Less Quickly Mezzo Half; moderately Mezzo‐piano Moderately soft Minore Minor key Moderato Moderately. Allegro moderato, moderately fast Molto Much Morendo Dying away Mosso EQuivalent to rapid. Piu mosso‐ quicker Moto Motion; Con moto‐with animation N Non Not Notation The art of representing musical sounds by means of written characters O Obbligato An indispensable part Opus A work; Op. Ossia Or; or else. Generally indicating an easier method Ottava To be played an octave higher P Pause The sign indicating a pause or rest Perdendosi Dying away gradually Piacere, a At pleasure Pianissimo Very softly Piano Softly Piu’ More Piu’ Allegro More Quickly Piu’ tosto Quicker Pizz. Abbreviation for pizzacato Pizzicato To pluck a string. Abbreviated pizz. Poco or un poco A little Poco a poco gradually, by degrees; little by little Poco piu’ mosso A little faster Poco meno A little slower Poco piu’ A little faster Poi The, afterwards Pomposo Pompous; grand Prestissimo As Quickly as possible Presto Very Quick; faster than Allegro Primo The first Q Quartet A piece of music for four performers Quasi As if; in the style of Quintet A piece of music for five performers R Rallentando Gradually slower; rall. Repeat Signs Enclose a passage that is to be played more than once. If there is no left repeat sign, the right repeat sign sends the performer back to the start of the piece or the nearest double bar. Replica Repetition, Sensa replica‐without repeats Rinforzando With special emphasis Ritardando Gradually slower and slower; rit. Risoluto Resolutely; bold; energetic Ritenuto In slower time Rock A type of popular music that grew out of rhythem and blues in the 1950’s S Scherzando Playfully, sportively Secondo the second singer, instrumentalist part Segue Follow on in similar style Semplice Simply; unaffectedly Senza Without; senza sordino‐without mute Sforzando Forcibly; with sudden emphasis Simile or simili In like manner Simile Marks Denote that preceding groups of beats or measures are to be repeated. In the examples here, the 1st usually means to repeat the previous bar, and the 2nd usually means to repeat the previous 2 bars Smorzando Diminishing in sound. EQuivalent to morendo Solo For one performer only Soli For one section only Sordino A mute; con sordino‐with the mute Sostenuto Sustained; prolonged Sotto Below; under. Sotto voce, in a subdued tone Spirito Spirit; con spirito‐with spirit Staccato Detached; separate Stentando Dragging or retarding in tempo Stretto or stretta An increase of speed. Piu’stretto‐faster Subdominant The fourth tone in the diatonic scale Swing A style of big band jazz music popular in the 1930’s and 1940’s Swing Time to play 8th notes as if they were a triplet consisting of a Quarter not and an 8th note. Syncopation Change of accent from a strong beat to a weak beat T Tacet “Is silent” Signified that an instrument or vocal part, so marked, is omitted during the movement or number in Question Tempo Movement, rate of speed Tempo primo Return to the original tempo Tenuto Held for full value; ten. Thema or Theme The subject of the melody Tonic The first note (key‐note) of the diatonic scale TranQuillo Quietly Tremolo A tremendous fluctuation of tone Trio A piece of music for three performers Trill A rapid alternation between the specified note and the next higher note (according to key signature) within its duration Triplet A group of three notes to be performed in the regular time of two of eQual value in the regular rhythm Troppo Too; too much. Allegro ma non troppo‐not too quickly Tutti All; all the instruments U Up Bow On a bowed string instrument, the note is played while drawing the bow upward Un A, one, an Una corda On one string Unison Two or more performers sounding the same note or melody. V Variations The transformation of a melody by means of harmonic, rhythmic and melodic changes and embellishments Veloce Quick, rapid swift Vibrato A wavering tone effect, which should be sparingly used Vivace With vivcacity; bright; spirited Vivo Lively; spirited Volta brackets Denote that a repeated passage is to be played in different ways on different playing (1st and 2nd endings, or 1st and 2nd time bars) Volti Subito Turn over Quickly; V.S. .